They tried everything they could to make this play hard to photograph but wonderful to watch. To begin with there's a swimming pool in the middle of the stage. Not a wading pool. A big ass, custom constructed, five feet deep pool with a walk way all around the top. Most of the action happens in the pool or is central to the pool Next, they made the lighting fleeting, creative and exciting. Get a light reading and it's already changed. I rode the shutter control on the camera like a race car driver banking into curves.
The theater is in the round but I could only be on one half. And the action constantly moved and presented in different directions. Thank goodness for running shoes. People dropped from the ceiling on silk fabric and climbed back up again. Amidst the pools of light and the light from the pool there were inky acres of blackness. You can't flash so you have to take what you can get and make a flaming dessert from it.
Here's my recipe: Canon 5D2 at 3200 (1600 if I could pull it off). 24-105mm lens because I needed both ends. Now. Locked at f4. Don't care if it's sharper at 5.6, I didn't have the photons to go there. Captain, engage the IS!!!! Vacillated between AWB and tungsten, depending on the lighting.
We shot all the way through and came away with 1600 images. I narrowed it down to 800 and burned it to a disk for the art director. Now I'm looking forward to coming back on opening night and seeing this play the right way. What's the right way? How about: with my wife, a nice glass of wine and a couple of good seats. And no reloading CF cards mid-drama.
Go see some theater. These guys light different than us and it's really cool.
3 comments:
I love the work you do for zach scott theater. But then again we love most of your stuff. Keep posting. Please.
Indeed the theatre is sublime! They do light differently than us. In fact, after being at a live there performance last night, I was excited and full of ideas of how I might light a set in my studio for a project I have been playing with in my head, it was inspirational and a reminder to stop, listen and have more fun!
Awesome! Beautiful picture, and your description of the performance makes one feel right there. Love theater, is total immersion and a most fullfilling experience compared with movies. Sadly, few opportunities to go, round here...
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